Jon M. Chu is shutting down casting rumors surrounding his upcoming Britney Spears biopic movie. The “Wicked” director told fans on X that his movie is not even in the casting process yet as reports circulate claiming that Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter and Millie Bobby Brown are battling it out to play the iconic pop star on the big screen.
“None of this is true,” Chu wrote in response to Grande, Carpenter and Brown being contenders. “Sounds exciting but have not had one conversation about casting this movie yet. We are way too early in development. Sorry.
Chu directed Grande to an Oscar nomination in “Wicked,” and the duo have the second movie, “Wicked: For Good,” arriving in theaters this November. The musical’s film studio, Universal Pictures, is backing the Britney Spears biopic, as is “Wicked” producer Mark Platt. Universal landed the rights to the biopic last August. The film will be based on Spears’ blockbuster memoir “The Woman in Me,” which has sold over 2.5 million copies in the United States alone.
In the book, Spears chronicled her journey to pop superstardom from her “Mickey Mouse Club” days through her highly-publicized and scrutinized conservatorship case. The audiobook — read by Academy Award-nominated actor Michelle Williams, with an introduction by Spears — is the fastest-selling in Simon & Schuster’s history. It’s unclear what part of Spears’ life the biopic will focus on.
When the memoir was released in October 2023, Spears was quoted as saying: “I poured my heart and soul into my memoir, and I am grateful to my fans and readers around the world for their unwavering support.”
Ever since the biopic’s announcement, fans have been dream casting who should play Spears on the big screen. “Heart Eyes” star Olivia Holt has had her name thrown around on social media, and she told Variety earlier this year it “would be a dream” to play Spears, adding: “I would be so honored.”
